Liverpool are in a constant battle with the other top Premier League teams, be it on the pitch throughout the season or in the transfer market during the off-season.
Arne Slot proved beyond all reasonable doubt that Liverpool are the best team in England with the title win and now that recruitment is the focus, a call from last-season has now been proven correct.
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Finding the right profile for the squad is difficult, but getting the a on board with a move can be particularly tricky and agreeing a fee that is acceptable for both parties can take even harder.
Take the Florian Wirtz saga, for example. Liverpool were interested and his profile was known to be perfect for Arne Slot, but convincing him to move initially felt like a problem. Then, once the club had joined the race, Wirtz agreed personal terms with the Reds, but his fee is now a sticking point.
Last season a similar saga unfolded, which unfortunately proved unsuccessful, but Richard Hughes has now been proved right to have walked away from the deal.
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Arsenal's headache with Zubimendi
Liverpool were rejected by Martin Zubimendi last summer, after the Spaniard decided against agreeing personal terms with the Reds, deciding to remain in the Basque region of Spain for the season.
Real Sociedad were happy for Liverpool to trigger his £51m release clause, but a complete agreement could not be completed. As such, Liverpool decided to completely forget about the player.
This season, it appears as though Zubimendi is more than willing to move away from the Basque culture that he was so attached to, opting for North London instead.
His move to Arsenal has already received the 'Here We Go' from Fabrizio Romano and it now feels implausible that anything could go wrong. Arsenal fans are just awaiting the club's confirmation.
But even though the Spaniard is going to a title-rival, is it plausible that Liverpool have actually pulled off a masterclass by deciding not to go in for the player again this summer?
According to The Mirror, 'Arsenal have agreed to pay La Real a total of £55m - £4m over the release clause - in order to spread the cost out over a couple of years'.
Last season, however, Liverpool had the money to spend right away, as signified by the club's failed attempt to sign Moises Caicedo for £115m the season prior. £51m would've bene a drop in the ocean.
Moreover, the report adds: "Real Sociedad have told Arsenal they wanted the deal to go through in July for accounting reasons", which was first reported by The Athletic.
That has left a sour taste in Arsenal fans' mouths because an integral piece of business is essentially being left for a few more weeks, which could allow for the player to change his mind.
Disputed reports from MARCA have claimed that Real Madrid are interested and could still pose a threat to his Arsenal move, and the player himself spoke on a Spanish radio station last week claiming that he thinks very highly of Xabi Alonso and he isn't sure about his future.
I actually can't put into words how glad I am that Zubimendi is Arsenal's problem.
Liverpool tried to get him last year, but personal terms weren't agreed. Now he's supposed to be on his way to North London + he's dreaming of Real Madrid.
How indecisive can you be? 🤨 https://t.co/IcnU0efbe1
— Will Comish (@WillComish) June 3, 2025
In the long run, you'd expect his move Arsenal to go ahead without any hitches, but that's exactly what Liverpool fans thought last season when we were on the brink of agreeing his move.
One thing for sure, however, is that £4m over-payment, the failure to sign him in June and the conflicting quotes and rumoured interest from Madrid is unlikely to help Arsenal fans' blood pressure.
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I for one am particularly pleased that Liverpool are no longer involved, and for that we all have Richard Hughes to thank. The Martin Zubimendi saga can now be a thing of the past.
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